Joseph hathaway



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Letters Patent No. 81,632, dated September 1, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATER-WHEELS.

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TO. ALL WHOM IT MAY CONGERN:

. Be itknownthatl I, JOSEPH HATHAWAY, of Woodstock, in thecounty of Windsor, and State ofIVermont, 4 have invented a new and useful Improvement in Water-Wheels Vand I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eiact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and usc the same, reference being `had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, in whichi Figure 1 is a vertical central section of my invention, taken `in the line :e x, tig.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section of the shaft of the same, taken in the-line :r ze", iig. 1.

,Figure 8 is a detached sectional plan of the wheel, chutes, and gates. 4

Figure 4 is a detached side view of aportion of the wheel-shaft.

Similar letters ot`-reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention vrelates to a new and improved water-wheel, of that class which is attached toa vertical shaft, I and works within a cylindrical caseand has an internal discharge.

' The invention consists in apeculiareonstruction and arrangement of gates and chutes, with meansfor operatingthe gates, as hereinafter set forth, whereby the gates may'all be moved alike, opened and closed equally, and in case one ormore gates should be prevented'from closing-Lon account of any obstruction, the others will not be prevented fromclosing.'

VIn the accompanying sheet of drawings- A represents a cylindrical case, in to which the water is admitted, said case being placed on any suitable' framingl Or supports, and constructed and arranged in any proper manner.-

B represents a hollow cylinder, which is fitted in the lower vpart of the'case A, and extends some distance below it, asishown in iig. I. I i

In the upper part of this cylinder there is secured, between vflanges a a, a series of chutes, .C, and gates D', the latter working on rods b inthe issues, or'between the chutes, ahdhaving their outer ends i-n contact with .curved plates c, which are concentric with thefrods 11, (see fig.

' 'The outer partsof these gates, beyond the-rodsb, are longer than their inner`parts,`s o that the gateswill, when at liberty, or not held fast, close under the pressureof the water, the closed position being shown in red/ in tig. 3. Y l v v Each gate D has a-pin, d, attached at its outer endsfand these pins extend up through curved slots ein the upper flange a, and extend into recessesf, madcin the under side of an annular plate, E, which is fitted on the upper Aflange a', and is moved in the path of a circle by a cam, F, on a vertical shaft, g.

Bymoving this plate E in one direction, the gates D- areallopened simultaneously, ou account ofthe pins d fitting in the recesses f," and they are retained in an open state by the plate. By moving the plate in the opposite'direction, the gates are not closed by the plate,'but left free to be closedby the pressure of the water,

a result ldue to the longer outer parts,of the gates. This will be understood by referring to fig. 3.

By thisfarrangement, in case one,v or more of the gates are preventedfrom closing, the others are not prevented from doing so. This is an important feature, as drift-wood and foreign substances frequently pass into the issues or chutes, and prevent the closing of a gate.

G represents a portion of the wheel-shaft, which is tubular, and fitted on a iixed spindle, H, the latter4 rest-l ing on a bridge-tree, I, lin the lower part of the cylinder B, which bridge-tree is-raised and lowered by a vertical shaft, J. This part G o f the wheel-shaft passes up through a cone, K, within the case A, against the under side of which the top of the wheel abats. The part Gof the wheel-shaft is connected, by a coupling, gx, with another part, G', said coupling being composed of three bolts 6X, passingthroughtlanges eX cx, and. this part G', v yis connected withA the top part G of `the' shaft by aratchet-eoupling, L, (see iig. 4,) the machinery to-be driven being connected to thepart G.

The lower end ofthe part G of the wheel-shaft runs on a fixed cone, ax, and the wheel is raised, when desired,.by raising the* bridge-tree, so that the upper endof the spindle will act against the lower end of G',

and consequently raise G and the wheel; the principal portion of the weight of the wheel being on the top of the spindle H.

By this arrangement, friction is4 avoided, and the consequent wear and tear.

Besides this advantage, due to the arrangement of-the wheel-shaft, there is another and more important one, to wit, the raising of the shaft and millstone, or whatever mechanism is connected with the shaft, independent of the wheel, and running the shaft, when raised on the spindle H, so that the step of the wheel will be relieved of the weight of thc shaft and parts connected therewith. p

By this ratchet-connection, the machinery connected with the part G of the shaft is allowed an independent .movement after the wheel is suddenly stopped, or after the water is cuto' from the same, and therefore no part ofthe machinery or the wheel will be subjected to any sudden strain.

The wheel M is provided with buckets h, the outer ends of which have lips z', (see fig. 3.)

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The chutes C, in combination with the gates D, pivoted, as shown, and connected to the annular plate E, all arranged to operate in the manner substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The arrangement of the spindle H, resting on the bridge-tree I, in connection with the tubular part G ofthe wheel-shaft, which turns on H, and rests upon a fixed cone, ax, and the part G ofthe wheel-shaft, which I rests on the fixed spindle H, all arranged to operate in the manner substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JOSEPH HATHAWAY.

Witnesses:

WM'. L. BRAGG, HENRY WoLcoTr. 

